Here we are in June, and I am still wondering why my year of yes hasn’t been very dramatic, and why I haven’t said yes to anything major.

I have a theory.

In the Bible, when the children of Israel are about to enter the Promised Land, God tells Moses that he will drive out their enemies little by little until Israel’s population increases and they are strong enough to inherit the land.

My theory is that saying yes to what I consider “little things” is part of my deliverance from this season. Deliverance is coming “little by little” because I have to become strong enough to sustain my next season.

Not ready for prime time

The truth is I don’t think I am ready for prime time yet. It has been so long since I was in highly stimulating environments that I need to be gradually re-exposed to them.

Back in March, I was exposed to some majorly exciting energy, and I was literally rolling on the floor and running through my house, and this exposure only happened online! I can’t imagine what would happen if I was exposed to that type of exciting energy in person. I probably would fall out or embarrass myself really badly.

Since March, I have been putting in the work to improve my mindset so that I do not become overstimulated or intimidated in high-energy situations.

It’s like this: if you have been eating unseasoned, bland food for years, you shouldn’t immediately start consuming spicy, rich foods, because your system can’t handle them, and you will get sick! Immediately going from a bland, unseasoned life to a rich, spicy one would make me sick, and I would be so overstimulated that I would be sick with fear and either run away or retreat into the safe space of the bland and unseasoned.

I can’t go for that. Nope. No can do.

Saying yes to the little things is compounding and helping me to say yes to the bigger things.

What I said yes to in June: Creativity and Fitness

This month I’ve said yes to getting back in touch with my creative side by joining a writing class and turning in a short story for the other class members to workshop it.

I felt something switch on when it came to fitness, and I needed to stop going through the motions and start putting in the work

Yes, to writing and speaking declarations and affirmations

Some people may say it is lame or woo-woo, but writing down affirmations, speaking declarations, and listening to yourself speak them are powerful. These words become imprinted on our spirit and subconscious mind, and we begin to act on them.

I’ve recorded myself speaking affirmations, and I listen to them when I am feeling low. I also write down my affirmations and stick them in my planner. In my Five-Minute journal, I write down my 2026 affirmations daily. These are my internal narratives for this year.

Yes, to signing up for the Craft of Reading Class

This is my first real writing class, and I am enjoying it so much! The purpose of this class is that we are reading books as writers. Every week, we have to write a reflection paper and a short story to share in a workshop where our classmates will give us feedback.

I was part of the first group to share our short story. While I was really scared to share my writing for group feedback, I did it! The class was very encouraging and offered thoughtful critique.

It is so good to use my brain again! Some weeks, we have 60-70 pages of assigned reading in addition to writing a paper, working on our stories, and reading other people’s work. The rigor is exactly what I need right now. I need to be challenged and pushed out of my comfort zone. It has been so long. I need to be reminded of my potential and what I am capable of.

Settling for so long has made me lazier and more complacent. I don’t work nearly as hard as I am capable of, and it has been killing me. I am enjoying this challenge, and I am excited for the next writing class next semester!!

Yes, to turning in my short story Break of Dawn

I am really proud of myself for writing and submitting my first short story. I primarily write personal essays and blog posts, so it was exciting to submit a fictional short story because it was a new challenge. My story was called Break of Dawn. It is the internal monologue of a woman driving through town as she moves from one phase of life to the next.

One of my affirmations is that this summer there will be a flood of creativity in my life, and it is happening! I am blown away by the creativity of my classmates. I love being around creative people again!

Yes, to putting in more work! Early AM Fasted Cardio, More Cardio, and Digging into Prep Season!

I am in what I call Prep Season, and I am turning up the heat. A few weeks ago, I heard a whisper that said I need to turn it up and push myself fitness-wise. My sole purpose is not to lose weight, but to push myself to do hard things and challenge myself.

I am remembering what it means to do what’s inconvenient, like waking up for early AM fasted cardio. In one of his motivational Monday Pump Club emails, Arnold Schwarzenegger said the workout would lead to breakthroughs in other areas of life, and he is 1000% correct. As I’ve shown up to workouts and turned up the intensity, I’ve started asking more of myself in other areas, like signing up for the writing class, writing and submitting my short story, and being unwilling to settle for the easy option.

That commitment and dedication to fitness are what will allow my confidence and mindset to grow to take on new opportunities.